Carbon amendments for the reduction of selenium within saturated waste rock environments at Brule Coal Mine, B.C. (version 2)

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Coal mining activities in northeastern B.C. may generate waste water effluents that are high in soluble selenium. Selenium concentrations need to be reduced prior to the release of effluents to the environment. This laboratory-based MSc project will examine a biological method that uses natural-occurring microbes to convert soluble selenium into solid forms, effectively removing selenium from mine effluents. The removal of soluble nitrate through denitrification is required prior to the chemical reduction of selenium. Two different carbon sources will be examined for their efficacy of producing the appropriate environmental conditions for selenium (and nitrate) removal. The results of this study will aid the mine in designing field-scale biocell reactors for the removal of soluble selenium (and nitrate) from mine effluents. The results will also aid in the Brule mine's selenium management efforts and could lead to operational-scale technologies that are more cost effective than traditional management strategies.